The Pirate Legend
by Neonculr
Summary: Don't tell me I should be happy! How would you feel watching the one you love die right before your eyes, because you weren't strong enough to protect them? ...A legend you say? I'm no legend. I'm just someone who runs away. All because of one day, one person, and one feeling.
1. Chapter 1

"Haha! Yeah, that was a story to tell!" I said, knocking back a mug.

"Captain, you drink like a fish. You're gonna get sick." One of my crew members said.

"I'm only 23. I think I'm good." I looked at the mountain of empty mugs before me.

"Captain, scout report." My first mate said.

"What's up?" I said, knocking back another mug.

"Sirius crew just arrived at the port. Rika following behind."

"Aah, it's about time we run into them! You guys stay here, I'm gonna go and talk to my ol pals!" I said, getting off the barstool.

I headed out to the port, only to find Morgan talking to his crew. It looked like his ship had taken some damage.

"Morgan!" I yelled, heading towards him. I stopped in front of the crew, and they were all silent.

"...John?" Morgan whispered, shocked. Everybody was pale.

"What's with you guys? You look like you've seen a ghost!" I said, laughing.

"How are you here?" Doc asked.

"What are you all talkin about?" I asked, confused.

"You died last week, when we were fighting those bandits..." Morgan said.

My eyes widened as I suddenly remembered.

Morgan and I were fighting alongside each other, defeating enemies one by one. We had thought they were all defeated, but suddenly a sword went straight through me. One of the enemies stabbed me just before he died. It all happened in slow motion. I looked at the sword sticking out of my stomach, and then looked up at Morgan's terrified face. I gave him a soft smile, and then fell over.

"I didn't die." I said, leaning against a barrel with my arms crossed.

"What?" Morgan asked, shocked.

"I fell over and passed out, but I woke up. I woke up in a white room wrapped in bandages." I put my hand over the wound that was still there. "I had no clue what was going on or where I was, but do you want to know the strangest part? The doctor that saved me was my father."

"Your father!? But I thought-" Morgan exclaimed.

"He didn't know I was his son. He still doesn't know. I bet he's forgotten about me by now. But yeah, I never died. Thanks a lot for just leaving me there. That was really nice of you." I had almost said daughter. Yes, I'm a woman, and John is just a cover name.

"Geez John, you really are indestructible." Thomas said.

"Thomas! Nice see ya again!" I said, pulling him in a headlock and giving him a playful noogie.

He laughed and I let him go.

"Morgan, ya got yerself a mighty fine crew here. All of ya are gonna accomplish great things." I said, looking at all of them. Morgan, with his big smile and hardy laugh. Eduardo, with his cold face and attitude. Doc, with his gentle smile. Nathan, the quiet and intimidating one. Russell, with his overconfidence and impatience. And Thomas, a very different rookie. Full of kindness and curiosity.

"Pfft, we already knew that." Russell said. "We're the best pirate crew in the entire world!" He exclaimed.

Suddenly the rest of the crew went pale as I squinted my eyes. I moved towards Russell, and looked him in the eyes. I was only slightly taller than him, thank god he's 17.

"You dare say that in front of another captain? You dare say that in front of a legendary captain? You dare say that in front of me?" I said.

"Umm..." Russell was visibly scared.

I began to circle around him, looking down on his slouching figure. I began to laugh and slapped him on the back. "You got guts, I'll tell ya that. C'mon, we should get back to the bar!" I said, turning and walking to the bar.

The Sirius crew looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, and then Morgan said, "Men, to the bar!"

They came in after me and I sat down at the barstool, my tower of mugs still there. I ordered a round for everyone and knocked back the glass.

A few hours later the Sirius crew couldn't take much more alcohol. Thomas was flat out smashed, and so was Russell. The rest of the crew was drunk.

My amount of alcohol downed had tripled and I wasn't even tipsy. I was perfectly fine. My crew was clearly wasted.

Alan joined us sometime in the mix and drank a lot of liquor. I wasn't sure if he was drunk or just being normal. Fuzzy was passed out over a table with three empty kegs. Tom and Colon were just as smashed as Thomas and Russell.

I turned to Morgan, who seemed a little tipsy. He tried to catch up to me. I drank about 12 kegs currently, and Morgan drank about 7. These men are weak!

"You up for a drinking contest Morgan?" I asked, downing another mug.

"I will not lose to you!" He declared.

"Give us a round of Super Pirate Killer." I said to the barista.

"Are you crazy!?" Morgan exclaimed.

"Yer out of yer mind..." Nathan said.

The barista plopped a bottle on the counter and I poured ten shot glasses each.

"Ready Morgan?" I asked.

"Ready!" He said, taking a shot glass.

We both knocked one back, and the whole bar was focused on us. Then, we took a second, third, fourth...

"You ok Morgan? You don't look so well." I said.

"I will not lose!" He yelled.

Then we knocked back a fifth, sixth, seventh...

Morgan fell out of his chair and passed out. The Sirius crew gasped and so did the Rika. My crew looked like they were expecting me to be dead. I took the last of my shots and the rest of Morgan's.

"Come on guys; let's get ya back to yer ship." I said, picking up Morgan and throwing him over my shoulder.

"How did ya take 13 shots of Super Pirate Killer and 12 kegs of alcohol and not die from alcohol poisoning?" Doc asked me after sobering up a little. The Sirius crew hadn't started drinking since our contest, so most of them were okay.

"Dunno. I'm resistant to poison too." I said. I handed Morgan over to them and headed back to my ship, where my crew was waiting.

The next morning I woke up to find my crew fast asleep. Today is the day. Today was the day for my new beginning. I took off my overcoat and laid it on a table. I kept my sword, hat, and gun. Then, I began to fill out the letter.

'Dear Endeavor crew,

I am sorry to say I will no longer be your captain. It's no use trying to look for me, because even if you find me, you will not recognize me. It is time for me to start a new beginning. I assume you knew this was coming. I will miss my times on the Endeavor, but I must leave now before I become too attached to the pirate life. I trust that you will look after the Endeavor for me. Kuzon, you're captain now. Goodbye.

Sincerely, Captain.'

Then, I ran off the ship and disappeared into the port.

So, what do I do now? Well, first I have to remember how to be a girl. I hadn't been a girl since I was 17. Well, I need a dress. NO! Okay, what do girls have besides dresses? ...I have boobs and long hair. I've got the look down. Now I just need to act like a girl. Well, I have seduced the enemy in dire situations, so I guess some of my womanliness is there.

I had been walking blindly and found myself in the bad side of this port. I'm probably gonna encounter some creeps so I should get outta-

"I haven't seen you around before." a voice said from behind me.

I kept walking, ignoring the voice completely. Suddenly footsteps sounded behind me. I kept my pace. The footsteps got faster, and so did mine. The person lunged at me and grabbed my arm. I used my free arm to punch them in the face. My right hook struck the person, but my quick turnaround made my wound hurt. I cringed in pain and placed my hand over the wound. Before the man could get up I ran towards the town square. Upon reaching it, two more men had followed me. I was flipping and dodging and kicking with punches flying all over the place. I was about to dodge one of the men's punches, but the other one hit my stomach and caused my wound to open. I forced down a scream as I punched the two men and they fell over. Just then five more men showed up and my wound began bleeding. I tried to fight, but I just couldn't do it. I was getting punched endlessly and I could feel bones breaking. Along with cuts and bruises everywhere.

Morgan appeared out of nowhere and started fighting the men along with the rest of his crew. I fell to my knees and looked at my hand. It was covered in blood from my wound. I began to feel lightheaded, and then the ground came at me with rapid speed. Before I hit it, all went black.

I woke up to see my eyelids. It took me a minute to remember what happened, and when I did I didn't believe it. I moved to jump out of bed but an excruciating pain came from my lower stomach. I gasped a little and laid back down, when I heard a terrifyingly familiar voice.

"You're awake." Doc said.

I sat up despite the pain as thoughts whirred in my head. I'm on Morgan's ship? What am I gonna do? How will I act? What do I say? Are we still at the port? How long have I been out? Is my crew okay? Wait, they're not my crew anymore.

"Are you okay?" Doc asked. I was so lost in thought I didn't realize he had come to the bedside.

"I don't know..." I replied.

"I bet you're confused." he said.

"Much more than that..." I said, thinking. More thoughts filled my head, only making me more confused and worried. How is this going to affect me? If I run away at the next port will they look for me? If the crew overreacts will I be able to fend them off? What if I'm stuck on the Sirius?

"You must be thirsty. Here, have some water." Doc said, handing me a glass of water.

Just then Thomas ran through the door. "Doc, Captain just called an emergency meeting. Captain John has gone missing!"

At the mention of my name I started choking. I set the water down and gripped my wound in pain.

"Okay. Tell him I'll be right there." Doc said. Thomas disappeared through the doorway and Doc turned to me. "You alright?" he asked.

"Y-yeah. I'm okay."

"I'll be back after the meeting." With that, Doc left.

I heard a commotion in the room next to me and pressed my ear against the door. I could hear the meeting!

"All of you already know that John is missing. I've talked to his crew and they gave me a letter he wrote before he disappeared."

I heard the sound of parchment and questions popped up left and right. After a moment of silence, Morgan spoke up.

"The worst part is the navy declared war on pirates. Without John, we've lost a great military mind."

"The navy..." I whispered. I moved away from the wall and began thinking. They only think they've lost a military mind.

I found some paper and began taking notes about this ship, then about the Endeavor. I listed the strengths and weaknesses of the Sirius crew and my crew. Then I began to sketch blueprints of the main navy ship. Believe it or not, I was once commander of the navy, but I quit and became a pirate. They replaced me with some young rookie. I know every base and ship like the back of my hand. Hard to believe, considering I became a pirate at 19. I was sort of a double agent until I was 21. Then I started gaining fame as a pirate. And now, here I am two years later.

I jotted down every piece of information that might be useful. I heard someone coming, and hid the paper under my pillow.


	2. Chapter 2

It's been about a week since the meeting and Doc said I was strong enough to walk around. I walked straight to the bow and looked out at the ocean. I studied the ship inside and out, every nook and cranny accounted for. I added details to my earlier notes, and since I had accounted anything possibly useful, I had a stack of paper. I told Doc I needed paper to write, and usually I wouldn't be lying. He thought I was writing my thoughts or whatever, but I was really jotting down notes and pondering strategies.

"Excuse me, miss?" I heard Thomas say behind me.

"What?" I asked, writing down my estimated numbers.

"Captain wants to see you." He said.

I wrote down the last zero and said, "Okay."

He led me to Morgan's quarters and there I saw him drinking some liquor.

"You wanted to see me?" I said after Thomas closed the door. I hid the papers behind my back, knowing he would probably ask about them.

"Yes, I needed to talk to you. Take a seat." He said.

I looked around and saw two chairs. The one next to me was the chair he never let anyone sit in, his favorite chair, so I decided not to sit there. Instead I sat down on the farther away and uncomfortable chair.

"You know, John always went straight away to that chair, just like you did."

"O-oh really?"

"Yeah, that guy knew me like a brother."

"So, um... You wanted to talk to me?"

"Oh, yeah. We'll be fighting a fierce battle soon, so we're going to drop you off at a port. So, tell us what port we should drop you off at."

My eyes grew wide. I can be dropped off at port? But what about the navy? Could I get on another ship and fight? No, that wouldn't be likely. As of right now, I belong in the sea. An idea popped in my head, and I went for it.

"Pirate King Morgan, I challenge you to a duel." I said, standing up.

He looked amused.

"Would the mighty Pirate King refuse a duel?" I asked, eyeing him.

"Normally I would refuse because you're a woman... But you seem determined. Alright, we shall have the duel as soon as we reach an inhabited island. Also, we don't have a spare room for you. You'll have to share with someone." He said with a smirk on his face.

"...What? WHAT!? Are you kidding me?" I exclaimed.

"I wish I was. So, who are you gonna share a room with?" He asked.

"...I don't care." I said, sinking back into my chair.

"Huh?"

"I don't care. Choose whoever I'm staying with."

"Alright then! You'll stay with Nathan. Come on, let's go and make the announcements to the crew."

We headed to the deck and the crew stood before us.

"Men, I have two announcements. One, she is staying with Nathan. Two, Eduardo, I need you to take us to a deserted island. The woman has challenged me to a duel."

"WHAT!?" The crew exclaimed.

"But Captain, you know that-" Thomas tried to say.

"She was very insistent. Eduardo, if you would."

"Aye." Eduardo said, heading towards the steering wheel.

"Nathan, show her to your room."

"Aye." Nathan heeded for his room, and I followed him.

"Yer crazy fer challenging Captain." He said.

"Oh yeah? And why's that?" I asked.

"Cuz only Captain John could fight him evenly."

"Really..."

We reached his room and he opened the door. I went in and put my stack of papers down in the corner, along with my sword and gun. I put my hat on top of my gun, and Nathan spoke up.

"Where'd ya get all that?" Nathan asked.

"I found it all in the port. It was lying on the ground in an alley and it looked like it had been there for awhile. A garbage collector was about to take it, so I took it instead." I knew if I told the truth I would give myself away.

"Oh..." Nathan said, sounding downhearted.

"I'm going to go and practice." I said, taking my sword. "Touch my stuff and I will cut you in half. Don't read my papers, don't move anything." I have him a glare, and then put my hat over the papers. Then, I went out to the bow and began practicing. I visualized myself in battle, with twenty enemies attacking at once. Not the navy, they were too easy to beat. I'm talking the baddest of the bad pirates, not as good as the Sirius, but still really good fighters. My goal wasn't to kill them; my goal was to disarm them. I dodged attacks and swung my sword, blocking attacks and disarming weapons. With only two enemies left, the unexpected happened. A huge man, the Captain, showed up and joined the fight. Swords collided, attacks were dodged and blocked, and finally, the giant sword flew into the air and landed behind me.

I faded back to reality as I put my sword away. I wiped my brow and caught my breath, feeling tired from the training. My vivid imagination always helped me train, especially because my opponents weren't easy to beat.

I looked up and saw the sun had set. 'How long was I out here? Well, I better get some sleep.' I opened the door to Nathan's room to see him stretched out on the floor. I looked over at my stuff. Nothing out of place.

It's a nice gesture, but I don't need a bed. I stepped over him and sat in a corner next to my stuff. I laid my sword down and put my head against the wall, and slowly drifted off to sleep.

I dreamt of the life I left behind, my past. Well, part of my past. I dreamt about my life before the Navy, before being a pirate. My life before my, umm... second new beginning. It was peaceful until someone's face showed up and he whispered my name. "Jo..."

I gasped and woke up. It was the one face that drove me to leave my new life. The face that made me start my second new beginning. Why did he appear? Why did I dream about my past in the first place? I felt the tears start to come when I heard a voice.

"Hey."

I looked up and saw a stern looking Nathan staring down at me. "Why are ya on the floor?" He noticed I was about to cry and looked surprised.

Before he could say anything I got up and pushed past him. I ran out of the room to the bow and looked out at the ocean. The tears began to fall down my face and I muttered his name for the first time in four years.

"Kenishi..."

I began to sob as tears streamed down my face and fell into the ocean below. I finally fell to my knees and buried my face in my arms. "Kenishi... I'm sorry... *sob* I'm sorry..." I then began bawling like a child. "Kenishi *sniff* I-I'm sorry! It's all *sob* my fault! I'm sorry..."

"Hey, you." Russell said from behind me.

I turned my head towards him, and he said, "We'll be at the island in a few minutes." Then, he noticed my tears. "Are ya okay?" He asked.

I stood up and said, "I'm fine." I pushed passed him and went to Nathan's room. I picked up my sword and walked off of the ship onto the beach.

It was a few minutes before Morgan was ready, so I took the time to stretch. Thanks to Doc's excellent medical skills, my wound was almost completely healed. It didn't ever hurt anymore.

I tried to force myself not to think about Kenishi, but he was at the back of my mind. I felt tears sting my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Just then Morgan came out and we got ready to duel. I tried to calm myself down, but memories kept flooding my mind and refused to stop.

"What are the terms?" Morgan asked.

"Disarming." I replied.

"So what happens if I win?" He asked.

"If you win I will exit the ship at the next port and disappear forever. But if I win, I want to be Captain of the Sirius until the war with the Navy is over."

The crew gasped, and were about to protest until Morgan let out a hardy laugh. "I like yer attitude! Alright, I accept your terms. I'll go easy on ya, so ya don't hurt yerself." Morgan said, pulling out his sword.

I wiped the stinging tears from my eyes and forced Kenishi to the back of my mind. "Don't go easy on me. If I'm going to win I'll win fair and square." I said, arming myself.

Morgan and I began to duel, swords slashing and clashing over and over again. The crew held their breath as we constantly tried to one-up the other. Morgan went easy on me at first, but then realized I was a worthy opponent. As we dueled I faded from reality and began reliving the moment that I tried so desperately to forget. I was fighting alongside him, defeating bandits that tried to rob him. I was 16, but still skilled with a sword. The bandits and I clashed swords, when a sickening sound filled my ears. I turned my head towards Kenishi only to find his sword flying through the air and the enemy's sword straight through his chest. The enemy pulled the sword out of his body and slashed it through his neck, sending his head to the ground as his body landed with a thud against the ground.

Morgan and I had locked blades and I felt the tears slide down my face as I squeezed my eyes shut. I opened them once more, only to find the leader of the bandits, Kenishi's murderer with his blade locked with mine. With a sudden burst of strength I slashed at him with a barrage of attacks, sending him back farther and farther. With a trick of the sword I sent his flying through the air, and I caught it in my hand. I glared at him, hate and anger filling my core. He fell back onto the ground, and I pointed my swords at him. I snarled as I said, "After all these years... All the pain... All the tears and anger, I have you right where I want you. Defenseless on the ground, your life at my disposal. Have fun rotting in hell."

I snapped back to reality when I heard Eduardo load his gun. I saw Morgan lying in the sand with a look of sheer terror on his face. My vision was clouded with tears as I felt them spilling down my face. The crew was behind me, armed and ready to attack.

I growled in frustration and threw the swords onto the sand beside Morgan. I bolted through the trees, running as fast as I could just to get away. I ran and ran, wanting to escape my thoughts, escape the hell that I longed to forget. I wanted to forget the look he had on his face before he was beheaded. I want to forget that day, I want to forget my past, but mostly I want to forget Kenishi and the love I felt for him.

I stopped running only to find myself completely lost. I wiped the tears from my face and climbed the closest tree. The only thing I liked about land was the trees. I always felt at home in the sea or in a tree.

I laid down on one of the branches and started reliving my past. The first day I met Kenishi, the day I taught him how to make a flower crown. The day I was getting picked on and he stood up for me. The day he taught me how to dance. The thing I regret most was never telling him. I had never told him how I felt. It's been eating away at me for the last 7 years, filling me with regret and wonder. Would it have been different if I told him? For the first time in a long time I remembered what happened after that day. I remembered defeating all the bandits in a fit of rage, watching them run away clutching their wounds. I remember touching the head on the ground, not believing it was real. Remembering when my parents found me covered in blood with a tear streaked face. I remembered telling them the story and their shocked faces. I remembered running away and joining the navy, thinking it could be a new beginning. I remembered how I became a pirate, dog fighting my way to the top of both ladders. I had began to think about what life would have been like if I told Kenishi how I felt, and next thing I knew, I was asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Nathan POV:

Captain, well... Morgan had us search for Jo because she hadn't come back in awhile. Bothersome woman, nearly killing Captain, er... Morgan, then running off. I had been walking for about an hour when I felt something wet drop onto my cheek. I looked up and saw the woman in a tree.

"Why in the hell is she in a tree?" I asked myself. I climbed up and threw her over my shoulder, then jumped down on the ground.

I had been walking for about fifteen minutes and I kept hearing her say 'I'm sorry.' She had said it a few times now and I would hear her sob once in awhile too.

"Is she still crying'?" I asked myself. I took her off of my shoulder and held her princess style. She buried her head in my shoulder and continued to cry as she clutched my shirt, muttering 'I'm sorry,' over and over again.

"Bothersome woman." I muttered.

When I reached the beach I saw the rest of the crew.

Doc, the most worried, quickly got up and headed over to me. "Where was she?" He asked.

"She was crying' in a tree." I muttered. "And she won't stop."

Doc took her from my arms and she cuddled to him, hugging his neck as she continued to cry.

"I'm gonna go and take her back to the ship." Doc said. He turned and began walking, when I heard Jo, er... Captain say she was sorry again.

"It's okay." Doc said softly.

I clenched my fists a little, but not enough for anyone to notice.

"That woman beat Captain-I mean, Morgan... Who is she?" Russell asked.

"Who knows?" Morgan replied, staring out at the ocean.

The girl certainly was strange. She was a couple inches shorter than me, but was unusually tall for a woman nonetheless. She was really skinny, but still managed to have curves in the right places, if you know what I mean. She always had her golden hair in a high ponytail, and it cascaded down her back, reaching the hem of her pants. Her emerald green eyes were mysterious and enchanting, sparkling with excitement and wonder, but they also had a look of sadness and defeat. Her long lashes highlighted them perfectly, making them even more beautiful. She was slightly tanned, giving off an exotic look unlike anything I had ever seen. For how skinny she was she had a lot of strength, being able to defeat Captain, er, Morgan. Man, that's going to take some getting used to. Anyways, for how fast she ran she must be completely made of muscle. She's... Different.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I realized what I was thinking about.

"Alright men! Once she wakes up, we're having three parties in one! Nathan, prepare a feast! Thomas, fetch the booze!" Morgan bellowed, laughing as he boarded the Sirius.

Even though he wasn't our Captain anymore, we automatically did what he said.

Captain POV:

I woke up in the infirmary bed, my mind taking a few seconds to remember what happened. I smiled to myself, and headed to Nathan's room. I put my hat on my head, and instead of hiding my hair in it I just let it stay down. I put my gun in its holster, and after tightening my belt and dusting off my shirt, I headed out to the bow.

I walked to the front on the ship and stood in front of the railing. I leaned against it and looked out at the sea, watching the moon climb into the sky. It must be around ten o'clock, so the men are probably starting their full moon party. Thinking that, I decided to go to the deck. I grabbed a spare rope and tied the end into a lasso type fashion, and threw it onto a branch from the main mast. I have it a tug to make sure it wouldn't come undone and swung from the bow to the deck. I let go of the rope and landed on the table, startling the crew.

"You guys started the party without me? I didn't think I was asleep for that long." I grabbed a mug of alcohol and downed it, jumping off the table and thunking it down. "So, I'm just gonna let you all know now, we're having a meeting first thing in the morning. Now, we drink!" I exclaimed.

The crew lifted up their classes and cheers. It was then that I started to sing the anthem.

"We're the cheerful pirates, eat and drink, till mornin! Yo-ho-!"

BOOM!

"Ahaha! Did you miss me Morgan?" Alan screamed from his ship as cannonballs rained down on the Sirius.

"Alan! Finally you show up! I've needed some exercise! Come on men, let's have some fun!" I exclaimed, pulling my sword out of its sheath.

Alan and his crew swung over onto the Sirius and began to fight. Fuzzy began angrily attacking Russell because he called her a gorilla, Tom and Colon were fighting Thomas and Eduardo, and Christopher, Nathan, and Morgan were swinging over to stop the cannon balls from hitting the Sirius.

Just then someone grabbed my arm and turned me around.

It was Alan.

Great...

"I never knew the Sirius had a woman... A beautiful one, at that. My dear, these men must treat you so harshly. Come with me to my ship and I shall shower you with love and attention each and every day." He said, giving me that pervy stare.

Its times like these I wish I was still John.

"Let go of me." I snarled, gripping the hilt of my sword tighter.

"Oh, please don't be so cold. A love like this one cannot be ignored!" Alan said.

"Now I know why all the girls in the ports ran for the hills..." I mumbled. I head butted Alan and he let go of me, stumbling back a few feet. As he stumbled backwards I slipped his gun out of its holster and stuck it in my back pocket. At the same time I slipped his sword out of its sheath, leaving him defenseless. As he composed himself I put my weapons away and armed myself with his. His sword in one hand and his gun in the other.

"So Alan, let me ask you something. Do you know who I am?" I asked, swinging his gun around as I used hand motions.

"N-no, I don't believe so. This is love at first sight, how could I forget a face such as yours?" He said, coming closer to me.

I grabbed his collar and pressed my forehead to his. "Look, I've had a long day, and you interrupted me in the middle of my party. Now, it'd make me really happy if you just got on your ship and left the Sirius in peace for awhile." I let go of his collar and pushed him back, throwing his weapons to him. I put my hand on my hip and said, "Now if you'd be so kind, I'd like it if you got your crew to stop attacking my mates. I'll see you later Alan."

As I walked away I heard him scramble to pick up his things as he said, "retreat! Back to the Rika!"

After a few hours we were running out of alcohol and the crew was starting to pass out. Thomas had his head in my lap and was sleeping peacefully, and I giggled as I played with his hair. Russell was puking over the side of the ship and Eduardo was begging for attention. Christopher couldn't stop laughing and Nathan was whining about not having enough sausage for breakfast tomorrow. Morgan and I were sipping on a bottle of rum and having light conversation.

"Well Captain, it seems like the crew has taken a liking to you, even if they hate to admit it." Morgan said, taking a swig from the bottle.

"I've always been liked by people. I just get along with everyone I guess." I snatched the bottle from him and poured some of it into my glass.

Thomas stirred in his sleep and said, "Too much booze... I'm never gonna drink again..."

I giggled and said, "Yeah right. We'll see how long that lasts." I twirled some of his hair around my finger and Eduardo began begging for attention.

"Quit paying attention to Thomas and pay attention to me you bothersome woman." He said, grabbing my arm and trying to pull me out of my seat towards him.

I put my hand on his cheek and pulled him towards me. I gave him a little peck on the cheek and said, "I'm paying attention to you too, but there's only so much of me to go around, so be patient."

Morgan gave a hardy laugh at this and almost fell out of his chair. Eduardo began to fall asleep with his chin on my shoulder and I giggled at his sleepy face.

"Yer a funny woman. Nobody dares talk to Eduardo that way, even if he was drunk." Morgan said, setting the now empty bottle of rum on the table.

"I'm not scared of him, and it's not like he's going to remember any of this anyways." I said, patting Eduardo's head.

"Why does Thomas get to sleep on Captain's lap? He's the greenhorn!" Russell whined, leaning against the railing.

"Hehe, Russell's just jealous... Don't listen to him *hic* Captain, hehe..." Christopher said, fighting sleep on the table.

"Stupid, eating all the sausage... I'll cut him up next time he goes in my kitchen..." Nathan said, pouting with his arms crossed.

"It's okay Nathan; we don't need sausage for breakfast. We should have bacon instead!" I exclaimed.

"Bacon... Bacon is good..." Nathan mumbled, dozing off.

"Should we take them to their rooms?" I suggested, looking at Morgan.

"Yeah, sounds good." He replied, throwing Christopher over his shoulder.

I carefully got up so I wouldn't wake up either of the guys, and carefully put Eduardo over my shoulder.

Morgan took Christopher and Russell, so I only had to take Nathan to our room. He was still awake, so I just put his arm over my shoulders and guided him to the room.

I pulled the covers over him and he fell asleep, not having any time to protest.

I stretched a little, and then went over to my corner. I re-read my notes and strategies, and then decided which plan of action I would take. After organizing my thoughts, I fell asleep.

I woke up a little earlier than everyone else and got the meeting room ready before breakfast. After organizing everything, I walked into the kitchen.

I began making bacon, eggs, and pancakes. I knew Nathan would get mad at me, but he'll just have to deal with it. I turned off the stove and put everything on the table, along with plates and cutlery. After everything was set I began to wash the dishes carefully, humming as I did so.

I was drying the last dish when what I'd been expecting for the last fifteen minutes happened.

"What the hell do ya think yer doin?" Nathan asked angrily from behind me.

"Breakfasts on the table and dishes are done. After everyone finishes eating remind them about the meeting. I'll be waiting." I opened a cabinet door and put the plate inside. I closed the door and smiled at Nathan, seeing his furious expression.

"I won't be at breakfast. I'll be in the meeting room." I walked past him and was about to leave, when he grabbed his arm and stopped me.

"Who the hell do you think you are? You prance onto our ship, defeat our Captain, come into my kitchen, and think we'd all be okay with it?" He asked, glaring at me with a death grip on my arm.

"No, I don't expect you to be okay with it. I expect you to hate my guts and wish I had never come on to this ship. I'm just hoping you'll bear with me long enough so I can stop this war. After that, I'll disappear forever. I'll leave the ship and let you have your dear old Morgan back. So, if you want me to be gone sooner then I suggest you let me go so I can make sure nothing goes wrong that'll make me stay longer."

After glaring at me for a few seconds longer, he let go and said, "Get out."

"Gladly." I snapped. I stomped out of the kitchen and went straight to the meeting room, forcing myself to think about the war that's brewing.

After awhile everyone had come into the meeting room, the last one to enter being Nathan.

"Alright, all you guys are here. Now in a few minutes-" I began.

CRASH!

"Hard to starboard! I said hard to starboard!" Kuzon exclaimed.

I ran out to the deck and saw my crew for the first time in a long time, and it was terrible. They were falling apart.

"You idiot! Can you ever just listen to me!?" Kuzon exclaimed.

"We'll maybe if you'd actually tell me which way to go clearly instead of mumbling it I could hear you!" My navigator Silas exclaimed.

"Will you guys shut up? You've done nothing but argue since Captain John left." My first mate Harley grumbled.

"Stay out of this Harley! This is between me and thick head!" Kuzon exclaimed.

"Damnit Kuzon, just because you're Captain doesn't mean you can treat us like crap! Harvey would've made a much better captain than you!" Cameron, my cook exclaimed.

"HEY!" I yelled, snapping everybody to attention.

"Listen up, I don't care who has problems with whom, but as long as you're here you'll keep all your bullshit to yourselves. This is my ship, and there will be none of this nonsense while I'm around." I snapped.

"Oh yeah? And what makes you think we'll listen to a woman?" Kuzon asked, challenging me.

"I'm captain of the Sirius." I snapped.


	4. Chapter 4

"A woman? The captain? Pfft, what would a woman know to be a captain of anything?" Luzon said, humorist himself.

I grabbed his collar and yanked him towards me, glaring at him. "Listen here you little punk, I know more about you than you'll ever know about me. I know about the time you almost killed the entire crew. I know about your slip-up in the navy. I know about your parents, and I know about your sister. So I suggest you shut your trap and listen to me before something slips out." I pushed him back and he fell on the deck, fear and disbelief etched in his features.

"Kuzon has a sister...?" Harley asked in disbelief.

"Who are you?" Kuzon asked.

"I'm someone who's bad side is your worst nightmare. So, are you going to join this meeting or not?" I snarled.

Kuzon got up and walked into the meeting room, defiance in his eyes. I glared at him as he passed, and a shocked and scared silence settled as he disappeared through the doorway.

I smiled at my old crew and said I'm my normal tone, "now, if you'd come into the meeting room we can begin." I turned on my heel and went into the meeting room.

I saw Kuzon inside, and before he could speak up I said, "Kuzon, what happened to you? I know you're strong willed but I never expected you to treat them like garbage."

"How do you know anything about me?" He asked, threatening me.

"Look, you don't know me. You can't hurt me in any way, so I suggest you sit down and tell me what I want to know." I said, staring daggers at him.

"That crew is so disrespectful and lazy! If Captain John hadn't left, we'd be the same as we always were! What kind of selfish jerk is he, just leaving us like that! That no good scumbag-" he began.

"John is gone." I snapped, slamming my fists on the table. Just then the door opened, but the sound of my fists covered it. "Don't you dare insult him! He did anything and everything just so you and your mates weren't at the hands of the navy. He's the one that picked you up off the streets, gave you a home, a family, and you're calling him a jerk and a scumbag because he did something for himself!? John isn't here anymore. He disappeared off the face of the Earth. You want to know why? Do you want to know why John even started being a pirate? Do you want to know why he even does anything?" I asked, leaning in closer towards Kuzon for dramatic effect and intimidation.

Kuzon gulped, scared out of his wits.

"He was running away. He's trying to run away from his past, the emotional hell that tore him apart. He couldn't escape it, all he could ever wonder was, 'why did this have to happen to me? Why was I put in this place I can't escape?' So next time you want to insult John, you better know what it feels like to be him. And if you think you can insult him after he gave you everything, you should be ashamed of yourself." I stood up and said, "The meeting's being postponed five minutes. I need to cool my head." I pushed past everyone, wide eyed at the doorway, and went to the bow.

I had just been standing with my eyes closed; leaning against the railing as the breeze gently caressed my face when I heard footsteps behind me. I didn't bother to turn around. Whoever it was would speak up.

"Are ya ok?"

"Nathan? Why are you out here?" I asked, not moving.

"Everyone's worried about ya. Ya looked really mad at Kuzon. What'd he say to make ya snap like that?" Nathan asked, moving over to stand next to me.

"He was insulting John, calling him a jerk and a no good scumbag. John gave him everything, and for Kuzon to be saying those things... I just couldn't keep quiet." I said.

"Ya must know John really well, to know about Kuzon and the rest of the crew." Nathan commented.

"I know John better than anybody." I said.

"Were ya his woman once?" Nathan asked, now interested.

"No, it's not like that. It's... Different. I know Morgan really well too. It may sound creepy to you, but I know everything about the Sirius crew. I know things about you guys that you haven't even told each other. Hell I know things you don't even know yourselves!"

"Like what?" Nathan asked, not believing me.

"The mountains, Soria, the fire, Nero, the legendary bandit, your 'execution' in Moldor... I know that you can't swim, and you say that 180 seconds make the best soft boiled eggs." I finally opened my eyes and looked at him. "I know everything about this crew, Alan, and my crew, but none of you know about my past. Nobody could handle my past, and the one person I told died right in front of me because I wasn't strong enough to protect him. The one person who accepted me, the person I loved in a pool of blood on the road, all because I couldn't defeat the bandits." I stopped myself and said, "come on, we have a meeting to go to."

In the meeting room:

"Okay, here is the navy headquarters in Moldor. I have detailed blueprints of all major navy ships also. My plan is, if we take out the major ship, we take out the commander. After taking the commander hostage, we'll storm into the General's main navy base. There, we'll expose the rat that declared war under Commander's nose." I said as the men looked at my blueprints.

"But how do you know this is all liable information?" Russell asked.

"Before John disappeared, he heard rumors about one of the generals secretly training new troops. He went to Moldor and overheard General Don talking about bribing the navy and hiring new troops in order to have the numbers to defeat the pirates. So, here's how this is gonna work..."

Three weeks later, in Moldor...

"Nathan, before we execute the plan, there's something I want to show you." I said, grabbing his arm and pulling him without waiting for his answer.

We were walking down Main Street and I pulled him into a bar.

"What the hell? Ya just dragged me here so ya could drink?" Nathan asked, annoyed.

"No, stupid. I'm not that irresponsible. Now stay here." I said.

Nathan POV:

I had no idea why Captain brought me here, but I just sat down at a barstool as she hopped over the counter. She disappeared into the back and I heard plates drop.

"Don't drop your plates already! I have something even better to show ya! Now close yer eyes and follow me!" Captain exclaimed from the back.

She came out from the back with another woman behind her, but I couldn't see who she was. Captain had a big smile on her face and said, "Okay, open your eyes."

The woman came out from behind Captain, and I couldn't believe it. It was Soria.

"N-Nate? Is that you?" Soria stuttered.

"Soria? What the heck are ya...? Yer alive!" I exclaimed.

Soria ran out from behind the counter and hugged me. "That's my line! You're alive!"

"My god..." I said, smiling.

"So what are you doing now Nate?" Soria asked, letting me go.

"...I'm a pirate." I decided to tell her the truth. She would understand.

"I see. Is Jo on the ship too? I haven't heard much from her after-" Soria asked.

Captain clapped her hand over Soria's mouth and shook her head.

"She's the Captain... Temporarily." It saddened me to think about what would happen after today. Jo's going down a fast road to getting off the ship and we'll probably never see her again... I've grown to like her a lot. As a friend! Just a friend.

"Captain? I didn't think she had it in her." Soria said, laughing.

"What do you mean I didn't have it in me? I was the most adventurous of all of us! Neither you or Kenishi's brother would go to the waterfall with me!"

"You know better than anyone that I wanted to go, but I stayed behind with Kenishi's brother so he wouldn't be alone. You and Kenishi just took off and left him even if he did cry."

"You only stayed behind because you liked him!" I exclaimed, pointing at her.

"Shut up Jo! It was only a little crush." Soria said, crossing her arms and blushing.

"Yeah, that's why you had a shrine in your closet." I mumbled.

"I said never to speak of that!" Soria exclaimed.

Captain and I burst out laughing and Soria mumbled to herself.

"It was nice seeing you again Soria, but we have some business to take care of." Captain said, composing herself. She gave Soria a hug then slapped me on the back and said, "Let's go."

After giving Soria a hug I hurried out after Captain.

Captain POV:

"Okay, the main ship is leaving port in ten minutes. Everyone got the plan down?" I asked, prepared to explain.

Everyone nodded their heads.

I smiled and said, "Let's go!"

We ambushed a few guards and took their uniforms. We hid them in a useless closet and locked the door. Thomas and Russell would stand guard, giving a signal if anything unexpected happened. Christopher and Morgan patrolled the ship, prepared to cause a distraction if the other two sounded the signal. Nathan and Eduardo were with me. They posed as two guards taking me to the Commander.

"Hey, who are you guys?" A soldier asked them, gripping his gun tighter.

"We're just taking this no good thief to the Commander for punishment!" Eduardo said, shoving me forward.

"Oh. Carry on then." The soldier said, relaxing his shoulders.

We walked on and reached the door, no guards in sight.

Nathan and Eduardo stood on either side of the door, and I kicked it open.

The door closed behind me, and the Commander looked up with surprise. Our eyes met, and I nearly dropped my sword.

"Jo...?" The commander said, his quill falling onto the desk.

"Leonardo...? What... What are you doing here?" I asked, lowering my sword.

"I think I should be asking you... What happened to you? Why are you here?" He asked, getting up and coming towards me with Myumyu at his heels.

I snapped out of my shock and got back to business. "I need you to come with me. I have no time to explain, but I need you to trust me." I said. I grabbed his arm and ran out of the room, Nathan and Eduardo running after us. There would be no guards passing in the hallways if we did this right. I whistled a whistle that sounded like a steam whistle, but it was really the signal to go. After a few seconds Morgan and Christopher had joined us, running behind Nathan and Eduardo.

"What's going on!? Why are the Sirius pirates on my ship!? Where are all the guards!? Jo, answer me!" Leonardo exclaimed, holding his cat in his free arm.

"Shut up Leo! Just trust me! I'll explain later!" I yelled, running faster. I heard the anchor being raised out of the water and the whistle for departure sounding. I could see Thomas and Russell at the door, furiously motioning for us to hurry up. We reached the doorway and flew onto the port as the ship sailed off into the water.

"Come on, hurry before someone notices!" I exclaimed, running to the Sirius. The port was crawling with navy soldiers, and I didn't want to get caught now that we have Leo.

The crew lifted up the anchor and the Sirius sailed in the opposite direction of the main navy ship. I finally let go of Leo and he began screaming as the sails were dropped.

"What is the meaning of this!? Why are we on the Sirius ship!? Why did you just kidnap me out of the blue!? I don't care if you are my childhood friend; I will arrest you for-!"

I clapped my hand over his mouth and said, "Leo, calm down and let me explain!" I lowered my hand and said, "Look, I know this is going to sound completely made up and ridiculous, but you have to believe me. Okay, General Don has been secretly training and bribing new troops to increase his numbers. A few weeks ago he declared war on pirates, but a major battle hasn't been fought yet. I believe this is the calm before the storm, but I'm hoping we can prevent the storm. I believe if we can prove General Don is doing things you can arrest him and prevent a war from happening. It will be a few days before we reach the hideout he's in, so you have to stay on the ship with us. Right now I'm the Captain of the Sirius, and I will be until the war is over. I've already arranged for Thomas to take my place in Nathan's room, and we'll be staying in Thomas' room. Does this explain everything?" I asked, waiting for an explosion.

"So, let me get this straight. Don is bribing and training troops to increase his numbers, so now that he has that he's declared war on pirates, and I'm not finding about it until now?" He asked.

"Yes basically. That's the basics of it."

"What are his reasons?"

"He wants to eliminate pirates so he can gain power and replace you." I said, crossing my arms.

"I thought something like this might happen... But I have to ask. What happened to you? You just disappeared one day out of the blue."

"...I left. I left my old life so I could escape... But I don't understand why it's still haunting me..."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about Kenishi!" I exclaimed.

Leo's eyes widened and he put a hand on my shoulder. "We were all upset about Kenishi, but I don't think you should let it affect you like this."

I slapped his hand away and tears began to fill my eyes. "Idiot! You don't understand!" How can Leo be so calm about this? We're talking about his brother! "If I was stronger, Kenishi wouldn't have had to try and protect me... I could've protected him, and... and... and then he'd be here protecting me from this hell!" I exclaimed. My knees gave out from under me and I crashed down on them, kneeling on the deck as I began to feel overwhelmed.

Leonardo squatted down and put his hands on my shoulders. "You can't blame yourself for what happened. You were outnumbered and out skilled. You should be happy you're still alive."

"Don't tell me I should be happy!" I yelled. The tears began to roll down my face and I yelled, "How would you feel watching the one you love die right before your eyes, because you weren't strong enough to protect them!?"

"J-Jo... You... You loved Kenishi?" Leo said, shocked.

I squeezed my eyes shut and said, "I wasn't strong enough to protect him... And you're telling me I should just forget about it!?"

"I didn't know-"

"I'm done... I'm done!" I exclaimed. I ran to Nathan's room and slammed the door behind me. I collapsed over the side of the bed and began to cry, feeling pathetic and stupid.


	5. Chapter 5

An hour passed before anyone dared to knock on the door. The person who did was Thomas.

"Captain, are you okay?" he asked through the door.

"Go away."

"Everybody's worried about you, especially Leonardo."

...What am I even doing? Why am I crying and making a fool of myself? Crying never solved anything. All it does is make you look weak. John never cried in front of anybody. John never let anybody see how weak he was. This isn't the time to be crying. Now is the time to stop this war.

I lifted my head off of the bed and clutched the blankets tighter, newfound determination coursing through me.

I stood up and walked out the door, pulling my hat on my head as I headed to the deck.

"Alright men, worrying time's over. Now get off your rumps and prepare for battle!" I yelled. "Leonardo, right now you're on my ship as my hostage. That means you take orders from me. Now get to working!"

"Yes ma'am!" He yelled.

I watched as the crew began preparing, and sighed. "No more. There are more important things." I whispered to myself. "I need to stop this war."

No POV:

Approximately twelve hours later three pirate ships, known as the Endeavor, the Rika, and the Sirius, were docked at a small uninhabited island. The three crews were all surrounding a small campfire as they were instructed by the Sirius's temporary captain.

"Alright men, get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow." She said, throwing another log in the fire.

The men all headed to their mats in the sand, lying down. The captain headed to her mat, right next to Nathan's.

An hour later everyone had fallen asleep, and the captain pulled out a piece of parchment.

'Dear Pirates,

Sorry for this, but I know you can win the war without me. Besides, none of you liked me in the first place. I have sent someone to help you. He can help you more than I ever could. Now, just like I promised, I'll disappear forever. Are you happy now?

-Jo'

I placed the parchment on my mat and stood up. I walked on to the Endeavor silently, and picked up my overcoat. Time to rock.

Nathan POV:

I woke up a little after everyone else. Everyone was frantic, and I wasn't either until they told me why.

"She's gone?" I repeated.

She left... Why? Was it because of what happened with Leonardo?

Eduardo handed me a piece of parchment that she left behind. "Who's she talkin' about?" I asked.

"Mornin' ye scurvy dogs!" I heard someone yell.

All heads turned to the Endeavor, where the sound came from. There was someone at the very top of the mast.

"...John." Captain said.

'John' POV:

"Whatta ya all gawkin' at? We have a war to stop! C'mon, move move move!" I yelled. I jumped from the mast and grabbed a rope, swinging on to the Sirius.

We had all set sail towards the small island, going over the plan as we did so.

"Captain, what happened to ya?" Russell asked.

"I had some business to take care of. I felt bad fer abandonin' my crew, but I had to do it."

"Who is Jo? She seemed to know a lot about you." Thomas asked.

"Ah, Jo. The girl knows everythin' about me. It's a bit scary."

"Have you known her for a long time?"

"Aye. Known er all my life."

"She knew everything about us too. It was creepy." Nathan said.

"Aye. She's always got somethin' up her sleeve." I replied, leaning back in my seat.

"John, can I talk to ya?" Morgan asked.

"Sure." I replied, following after him.

We reached his quarters and I sat in the uncomfortable chair, like I always did.

"Ya know, Jo went straight away to that chair too." He said.

His voice seemed different. There was... An edge to it.

"Aye. I told her about it a long time ago." I said, being cautious with my words.

"She was like you in a lot of ways."

"Was she?"

"Aye. She could definitely hold her liquor."

"Could she? Aah, I taught her well."

"She even beat me in a duel."

"Really? She must have gotten stronger." I said, smiling like I was remembering something.

"So how do ya know so much about the plan?"

"Jo explained it to me. A smart girl, she is."

"Her strategies are a lot like yours."

"Aye. She learned from the best."

"I see you got yer stuff back."

"Aye. Jo said she didn't need em anymore."

"Did you meet up with her in the woods?"

"Aye."

"How did you know to come here?"

"She sent me a messenger seagull a few weeks back. After a few back and forth messages she finally told me to lead y'all in the war."

"How come she couldn't do it?"

"She said that she thinks everythin'd go smoother if I was leadin'."

"Did you talk with her a lot?"

"Aye. Talked fer a few hours then she ran away."

"You know John; you two know each other so well you could be the same person."

"Ya think so?"

"Yessir. Ya both even look alike."

"...are ya implyin' somethin'?" I asked.

"No. Not unless there's somethin' I need to imply."

I stood up and walked to the door. I put my hand on the handle and said, "Ya know Morgan, ya shouldn't stick yer nose where it doesn't belong." With that, I left the room.

The island was in sight and everyone was running around getting ready. I went over the plan several more times in my head, making absolute positive I had it. After a deep breath, a smirk crossed my face.

We reached the island and surged the warehouse, forcing out way through the wall of men. Most of them were rookies, so we quickly advanced towards the staircase.

The Endeavor crew stated behind to defend the staircase, and we advanced towards the General's office.

Another wave of rookie's surged us, but the Sirius crew stayed behind to defend the hallway. I left the Rika crew and Leonardo at the doorway, knowing they could take on the one or two soldiers that might slip past.

I kicked open the door and aimed my gun at the General... Only to find that he was asleep.

Perfect. I opened the drawers to his desk and took all the papers, plus the ones on his desk. I placed them in a special pocket in my overcoat, and took out my gun.

I head locked him and pointed the gun to his head, waking him up. I forced him through the door and ordered the rookies to drop their weapons.

"If I see a single one of ya move, I'll blow his brains out!" I yelled.

The Rika, the Sirius, and Leonardo served as my guard and extra eyes as we descended the staircase. The General was spewing swear words and threats nonstop, so I simply placed the barrel against his head and cocked the gun.

He shut up instantly.

We met up with the Endeavor and headed towards the ships, still keeping an eye on the rookies.

Once we made it to the ships, I yelled, "The pirates win before the war has even started! What a headline!"

Then we set sail.

I pushed the General on the deck and twirled the gun around in my hand. "So general, you think you can just declare war on pirates and take a nap? You are not a smart man."

"I will have you thrown in jail and watch you rot you filthy scum! You have no proof!"

"I do, actually. See, these are all the papers from yer desk." I said, taking them out of my pocket.

"T-they won't help you!"

"Let's see what the navy commander has to say about that." I said. I handed him the papers and tossed him the gun. "Have at it." I said. Then, I walked into the dining room.

Two weeks later...

The General had been put in prison and the crew's split up. Leo went back to his office, and I was getting ready to leave the Sirius.

"Where are ya gonna go?" Russell asked me.

"I dunno. Wherever I'm needed I guess." I replied.

The Sirius docked at port, and before I left I said, "I have a present for ya. It should be here by the time ya get done shoppin'. Adios." Then, I walked off the ship.

I headed down Main Street and turned a corner, making a big circle. I headed back towards the docks, but stopped at a special store first.

I bought a brand new sword, and a new gun. I also bought plenty of ammo. I went to a different store after that. I purchased a white dress and a normal pair of clothes too. After letting my hair down and changing into the dress (which was hard to let myself do), I wrapped all of John's stuff up. I placed it all in a crate, and after checking no one was there, boarded the Sirius.

I placed the crate in the back corner of the warehouse underneath all of the excess supplies. No one had touched the boxes while I was on the ship, so I figured it'd be safe there.

I then went to the dining room and sat down, waiting for their return.

About two hours later I heard footsteps on the deck, and everyone began putting their things away. They were all talking in a slightly somber tone, like they did before we surged the warehouse.

They all grouped back up on the deck and headed towards the dining room.

My heart started pumping as their footsteps grew closer. I took a silent breath, and the doors flew open.

A smile spread on my face as I saw their shocked faces. "Surprise." I said. "Do you like your present?"

Their faces remained still.

Uh-oh. They're mad.

"Ahaha! That John sure knows how to keep us guessing! Welcome back Jo!" Captain bellowed, throwing his arm over my shoulder. "Let's celebrate! Tonight, we drink!"

The Sirius crew drank themselves silly, so I spent most of the night looking after them while Captain laughed.

"Russell! Put that down!" I yelled, smacking Russell in the back of the head.

"But I'm hungry!" He whined.

"If you eat any more you'll throw up again!"

"Miss *hic* Jo, you look sooo beautiful when you dress *hic* like a girl." Thomas said, draping himself over my shoulder.

"Aww, thank you Thomas. Hey! What did I say? No more drinks for you!" I yelled, taking his glass.

Eduardo pulled me in his lap and said, "Stop paying attention to them. You're supposed to pay attention to me."

I kissed his cheek and said, "There. Can I get up now?"

Eduardo put his chin on my shoulder and pouted. "That's not fair. Why do I have to share?"

"Because it's the nice thing to do."

"Since when am I nice?" He asked, smirking.

"What do I have to do to make you let me go?"

"Give me attention."

This baby Eduardo thing is getting annoying, but it's just so perfect to use against him. And, it's cute.

"Fine. Close your eyes." I said.

He closed his eyes and I pecked him on the lips, making Captain laugh so hard he cried.

"A peck isn't enough." He said, still not letting go.

"Ugh, fine." I said. I kissed him again, holding it until he pulled back.

...Five seconds? Something like that.

His face and ears were red and he let go, looking away shyly.

Just then Nathan tugged on my arm and hugged me. "That's not nice." He said.

Nathan didn't drink as much... Is he drunk too? I was too busy babysitting Thomas to notice.

"Well what was I supposed to do?"

"You could have kissed me instead." He said.

"Haha, are you jealous?" I asked jokingly.

"...maybe a little."

My cheeks flushed red and my heart pounded in my chest. "U-um, will you only let me go if I kiss you too?" I asked shyly.

"Don't say it like that. You make me seem like a second option."

"I-I'm sorry." I said.

"Can I kiss you, or will you only let Eduardo?" He whispered in my ear.

"Y-you can kiss me... If you want to. ...You don't have to ask."

Nathan kissed me, and it made my heart pound. 'He's just drunk. It doesn't mean anything.' I told myself. Even though it was just a peck, it made me feel like a schoolgirl. He still didn't let me go and kissed me again, staying longer this time.

His arms loosened around my back and I pulled away.

Seven seconds. Seven seconds of indescribable feeling.

Stop it. It was just a drunk kiss. It didn't mean anything.

I turned my head and noticed Captain had passed out. He was drinking really heavily. Poor guy.

Christopher draped his arm over my shoulder and started singing. Well, he tried. As soon as he said the third word he fell over and passed out.

Thomas and Russell had gotten in a fight over the last piece of meat, but before they landed a blow they also passed out.

Only Eduardo and Nathan were left, and they both were acting like little kids. I ended up sending them to bed, acting like an angered mother. They both wanted kisses, so after a peck on the cheek for both of them they went to bed.

I dragged the other four to their rooms and covered them up, making sure they wouldn't catch colds. I hurriedly cleaned up the table and washed the dishes, wanting to go to bed.

I placed the last dish in the cabinet and trudged to Nathan's room, dragging my feet as I went along.

I opened the door, only to find a pouting Nathan sitting on his bed.

"I told you to go to sleep." I said.

"I don't wanna."

"Fine. I'll just go sleep in Eduardo's room then." I said, turning around.

"No!" Nathan yelled.

"Then are you going to go to sleep?" I asked.

"I'm lonely. The bed is cold by myself." He pouted.

"Maybe you should put a shirt on then."

"No! Shirts are on comfortable to sleep in!"

I sighed and picked up a piece of parchment.

'Don't freak out. You were drunk and said the bed was cold by yourself. I didn't feel like babysitting, so whatever.'

I put the piece of parchment on the nightstand and laid down of the bed, pulling the covers over me.

"Why are you so far away? Do you not like me?" I heard him ask.

This guy drank way too much.

I scooted closer to him, and he put an arm around me. He pulled me even closer, so close I could feel him breathe.

My face burned red, but I didn't want to deal with his insistent whining.

With my heart beating a million miles a minute and my face burning red, I fell asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

When I woke up, Nathan had been long gone. I stretched and rubbed the sleepiness from my eyes before getting up. A groan came from the back of my throat as I walked through the door into the dining hall.

"My head hurts..." Thomas whined.

"I drank too much..." Russell groaned.

"Dammit woman, why didn't ye take my drink away?" Eduardo asked, laying his head on the table.

"If I tried to take your drink away you would've shot me." I mumbled, sitting down.

"Nathan was up early this morning." Christopher said, rubbing his temples.

"Was he?" I asked, placing my chin on my hand.

"What happened last night?" Morgan asked as he stumbled in the dining room.

"All you bitches drank too much and I had to babysit for hours." I snapped, thunking my head on the table.

"What do you mean babysit?" Russell asked.

"Well Thomas kept treating me like a princess, Russell kept picking fights, Christopher wouldn't stop singing, Eduardo turned in to a baby, and Nathan was moody." I said, counting everyone off on my fingers. "And freaking Captain just sat there and laughed the whole time." I snapped, shooting him a glare.

I heard the click of a gun and Eduardo was pointing his gun at me. "The hell you mean I turned in to a baby?" He snarled.

"'Stop paying attention to them. You're supposed to pay attention to me.' Sound familiar?" I repeated with a triumphant smile on my face.

Captain began laughing and he said, "Aye, I remember! Then he begged ye fer kisses! Ahaha!" Captain laughed so hard he fell over, but he just continued laughing.

"What!?" The crew exclaimed.

"T-the hell!? Why would I wanna kiss this ugly hag!?" Eduardo exclaimed as his cheeks flamed red.

"Did you actually kiss him!?" Thomas exclaimed.

"I didn't really have a choice..." I muttered, crossing my arms.

"Why does Eduardo get to kiss Jo!?" Russell pouted.

"Do you want a kiss too Russell?" I asked.

"L-like hell I would!" He yelled, blushing.

I gave him a peck on the cheek and said, "There. Anyone else want a kiss?"

"I'll take ye up on that offer." Captain said, apparently recovered from his laughter.

"C-Captain-!" Thomas exclaimed, his cheeks flaming.

"I don't think this is a good idea..." Christopher mumbled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I never pass up the chance to kiss a beautiful woman!" Morgan exclaimed.

"Smart man." I said, smiling. I gave him a peck on the lips, causing everyone to freak out.

"Who's next?" I asked. I noticed Christopher look away, so I moved over to him and kissed his forehead.

"Thomas's turn!" I said happily, taking Thomas's hand. "So are you only gonna let me kiss your cheek or are you man enough to let me take your first kiss?"

Thomas pursed his lips as his clerks turned redder. I laughed, and pecked his lips.

Just then a plate dropped and I saw Nathan frozen in the doorway.

"What's wrong?" I asked. "Do you want another kiss?"

Nathan's expression grew angry and he turned on his heel, stomping back in to the kitchen.

"Oi! Don't ignore me!" I yelled, heading through the door he disappeared behind.

Christopher grabbed the sleeve of my dress and said, "I don't think that's a good idea..."

"Don't worry about it. It'll be fine." I said, shaking him off and heading in to the kitchen.

"Hey! What's wrong with you?" I asked, closing the door to the kitchen behind me.

Nathan ignored me.

"Helloooo? Can you hear me?" I asked, stepping next to him. "Hey! I'm talking to-"

"What the hell are ya doin?" Nathan asked, looking straight ahead.

"Huh? What do you mean?" I asked.

"What the hell are ya doin kissin everybody?"

"Why do you care?" I snapped, crossing my arms.

"Ya don't get it. If he do that, the guys are gonna get the wrong idea."

"What are you-"

"Are ya stupid?" Nathan snapped, turning to look at me. "If ya go kissn around on everybody then someone's gonna wanna go farther."

"But-"

"But nothin. Do ya know what kind of danger ye could put yerself in?"

"I was just-"

"Just cuz yer lover died doesn't mean ye can go around actin like a tramp."

"...excuse me?" I asked in disbelief.

"You heard me." He snapped, glaring down at me.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" I asked angrily.

"Look, I'm just tryin to protect ya-"

"I don't need someone to protect me!" I yelled.

Nathan's eyes widened a little.

"Don't you get it? I don't want anyone to protect me! I don't want anyone to get hurt because they think I need to be protected!"

"Yer not understandin what I'm sayin. If you-"

"I get it, okay!? You think I'm a whore because the person I loved died. I get it. You're trying to tell me to protect me but I get it. You don't need to worry about me; I can take care of myself."

"...I don't understand you." Nathan said. He grabbed my wrists and said, "I just don't get it."

"N-Nathan!?"

"Ye act all tough, but you cry whenever someone mentions yer boyfriend. Ye managed to beat Captain in a duel and became Captain. Ye stopped the pirate and navy war before it started. Ye know everythin about this crew, and the Endeavor's men. Ya acted all shy last night when I kissed ya and now ye don't even blink when ye kiss others..."

My back hit the wall of the kitchen and I started to get scared.

"I just don't understand you..." He said as he got closer to me. "Ye said I don't have to ask, right?"

"W-what?" What is he talking about?

Suddenly I stopped. I pressed a pause button. My mind shoved out all the emotions and logic flooded back to me. Why am I scared? I'm stronger than this guy. What is he talking about? Yesterday I said he didn't have to ask permission to kiss me. Alright, here I go.

"Sorry Nathan, but I was drunk, you were drunk, and it was a drunk kiss. What I did this morning don't mean anything; I was just teasing everybody." I took the hands that held my wrists and twisted them behind Nathan's back. "I saw what you were doing. Trying to show me that a guy could take advantage of me. I'm not like other girls Nathan. I'm stronger than the Pirate King, you know. And by the way, your eggs are burning." I shoved him towards the stove and said to myself, "If only Kenishi could see me now..."

I was pretty sure Nathan heard me, but I didn't stay to find out. I walked out the door and went to the deck, ignoring everybody in the dining room.

Once I was on the deck I climbed up the mast, climbing all the way to the branch and sitting on it. I was higher up than the crow's nest, and could see the newly risen sun climb in the sky. "If only..." I whispered as a single tear slid down my cheek.

Over two months passed, the only nearly interesting things going on being searching for a new treasure. We'd gotten a few leads, but all of them lead to dead ends. Today we were heading to Alemina, hearing there might be some clues there.

I was really reluctant, because this is the place I grew up. The place Kenishi died.

I took a deep breath and stepped off of the ship.

"I've never been here before..." Thomas said, looking around.

"Neither have I," Eduardo remarked, glancing at the small shops.

"I hadn't even heard of this place until that merchant told us about it." Christopher said, putting a hand to his chin.

"Umm, I can show you guys around." I said quietly.

Everyone turned to look at me, and I hurried to explain.

"I-I know the area! I... Grew up here."

"Does that mean...?"

"Yeah. Kenishi died here." I scratched my chin uncomfortably. "Anyways, if there are clues I know the spots they might be hidden in."

I walked to the center of the market where there was a map. I marked off several locations, and everyone split up.

"...I should go see Mom." I told myself after everyone had left. Then, I headed that way.

A few people greeted me along the way, which eased my nerves. After taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door.

The door opened with a click, and a middle-aged woman opened the door. Her eyes widened, and she yelled, "P-Phil, come here! Jo's here!"

"Jo came back!?" I heard my dad yell from the backyard. He was at the door in an instant, staring at me in disbelief.

"Hi Mom... Dad..." I said, waving awkwardly. Why is dad here!?

-Ten Minutes Later-

"So what are you doing now dear?" My mom asked, sipping her tea.

"Umm... I'm a pirate."

"A pirate! I always knew you'd be doing something adventurous! What crew are you Captain of?" My dad asked. Why is he being so nice?

"Well... I had made my own crew, but then I beat the Pirate King in a duel and was Captain of the Sirius for awhile."

"That's my girl! Beating the Pirate King at 23!" My dad exclaimed, laughing.

"You're not a bad pirate, are you?" My mother asked with a slight hint of worry in her face.

"Of course not. I only steal from bad people like the old king."

"Wait, wasn't there a pirate captain that had him arrested a few years ago?"

"Aye. That was me. I had to pretend to be a man until just recently..."

"You were able to hide those coconuts? Man, you've got some skill!" My mother said, smacking my leg.

I covered my breasts and yelled, "M-Mom!"

Both of my parents laughed and pouted with a red face.

"What are you doing back here Dad?"

"I was released last week."

"Released…?" I asked, confused.

"I retired as a navy medic."

That's right… Dad was in the navy, and I hated him because he didn't want me to hang out with Kenishi… because Kenishi's dad saved an ex-pirate and befriended him…

Just then there was a knock on the door and I went to open it. I turned the knob and opened the door, coming face to face with the person standing outside.

"Oh, Stanley! How nice of you to drop by! This is my daughter Jo." My mother said from behind me.

"Oh, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Stanley. Nice to meet you!" The man said, putting a hand out for me to shake.

I didn't move.

"Is something wrong, dear?" My mom asked.

"Y-you..." I stuttered. Just then I noticed my body was trembling, and I was about to have Niagara Falls pour out of my eyes. I pointed at the guy and said, "Y-you killed him..."

"Dear, what are you talking about?" My dad asked, standing up.

"You killed Kenishi-!" I said, my voice trembling.

"You're that girl..." Stanley said, dropping what was in his hands. "I've been looking for you for a long time-"

"S-stay away from me!" I yelled, backing up as Niagara Falls began to drip down my cheeks.

"Please, wait-"

"I'll kill you!" I screamed, ripping my sword out of its sheath.

He blocked me with his own sword, just barely protecting himself.

I slashed at him mercilessly, but the tears distracted me. My rage also took me off my edge.

I was pulled back by my shoulders and dropped my sword, landing on the ground with a thud.

Dad... Pulled me back...

Stanley took a step towards me and I screamed. I jumped up and ran, going as fast as I could to the only safe place.

I climbed up the old rope ladder and jumped in to the rickety tree house, curling up in a corner and crying.

"I'm sorry Kenishi... I still couldn't kill him... I couldn't avenge you..."

I felt my heart thump.

"Ouch..."

Saying that felt so... wrong. It felt like I was evil.

"Even after all I've done, I'm still not good enough..."

Just then I realized what I had made out of myself. I'm a world famous pirate, ex-navy commander, and a kick-ass sword fighter.

"How am I still not good enough...?" I asked myself.

My heart thumped again.

Wait a second... He wouldn't want me to be like this. He would want me to be happy. He would want me to talk to Stanley. He would want me to forgive him. He would want me... "To move on..."

Kenishi… have you been sad this whole timeup in heaven? Were you mad at me because I couldn't let go?

It was then that I came to a conclusion. I have to let myself go. I need to forget about Kenishi, instead of clinging to the memories I had and letting them hurt me.

At my sudden realization it felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. I smiled softly, and wiped the tears from my face. The next thing that hit me was a wave of emptiness.

My feelings for Kenishi have been the only thing that kept me going… the fueled everything I did, so what do I have now?

Just then the tree house creaked as someone started climbing up the rope ladder.

My body tensed up, and I waited for whatever it was to show itself.

"...Nathan?"

"I thought I saw ye run through here. Hey, were ya just cryin?"

"Yeah... But now I have nothing to cry over."

"Huh?"

"I've come to a realization. I need to forget Kenishi. Now c'mon, let's go look for clues!" I yelled, grabbing his hand and jumping out of the tree house.

We spent the day together looking for clues. It was only after I tumbled down a hill I saw one.

"Of course! We found a treasure map in a bottle and hid it here!" I said, hurriedly reaching in to a pile of rocks.

Nathan hurried down the rocky hill and stumbled a couple of times, but managed to stay upright.

"Nathan! Is this a map to the treasure?" I asked, pulling out the bottle.

"Where the hell did you find that?"

"I found it when I was little. Kenishi, Leo, Soria, and I all promised we would find it together."

"I forgot you were friends with Soria..."

"Speaking of that, I need to get those two to meet up. They haven't seen each other since Soria moved. Anyways, we should take this to Morgan."

"Where do ya think he is?"

"The Black Lagoon." I said, shaking my head.

Once we got to The Black Lagoon we saw Morgan with a few empty bottles of rum.

"Morgan! Ya were supposed to be lookin fer clues!" I yelled, slamming my hands down on the counter.

"Then what are ye doin here?" Captain asked.

"I found a map. I'm not sure if it's the one were looking for but-"

"Ye did it! Ya found it lass!" Morgan yelled, hugging me.

"Get off me." I said, pushing him back on to the barstool. "Nathan, were going." I said, taking his hand and heading out.

"Where are we goin?" Nathan asked a few minutes later.

"It's a secret."


	7. Chapter 7

Approximately thirty minutes later the sun had set, and the pair was deep in the woods.

"Seriously, where the hell are we going?"

"Were almost there." I said, tugging on his hand. I pulled him up a hill to the burnt remains of a mansion.

"Is this... Soria's...?"

I ignored him and pulled him through the untouched rubble. A clear spot which used to be the porch was where I stopped. He looked at me quizzically, but I pulled him down to the ground as I sat down.

"What are you-?"

I put my hand on his face and tilted it upwards towards the sky.

"You can see so many stars here. You and Soria sat on the porch and watched them when her parents were asleep."

"How did ya-"

"I'm Soria's 'younger sister'." I always came over to her house. You even played with me sometimes."

"Wait, you're Joann!?"

"Yeah..." I said. I giggled a little and said, "I was the one who took your first kiss."

"Eh!?"

"You don't remember? All of us were playing truth or dare. It was the first time you played with all of us. Then Leo dared you to kiss me."

"That was-"

"Yes I know, it was only a childhood game. But still, it counts doesn't it? Our lips touched, so it was a kiss."

"Yeah, I guess so..."

I hugged my knees and said, "It doesn't matter anyways. Thinks like hugging and kissing don't really matter, right? Who knows, if something different happened in the past of whatever kissing could be high-fiving or anything else. It's not a big deal."

There was a moment of silence.

"There are our stars." I said.

"Huh?"

"We all claimed stars that night. My star is there, and you're next to me. Soria is next to you, Leo is next to her, and Kenishi is next to me. Were always together."

"You're right..."

Tears slowly filled my eyes as I asked, "Do you think one day, we'll all be able together again instead of being separated like we are? Soria works in Moldor, Leo is busy all the time as Navy Commander, you and I are pirates, and Kenishi's dead... Do you think maybe we can all be together in heaven?"

"Who can say?"

"I want to see him again... I want to tee everybody again, together and laughing like we used to. Maybe this time you'll stick around with us."

"Maybe..."

No POV:

The pair sat in silence for a long time. It's not that they didn't need to say anything, rather than they didn't know what to say.

"It must be pretty late. We should probably head back." Nathan said, breaking the silence.

When he didn't get a reply he looked over at the girl, only to find she was asleep. He smiled softly and picked her up, chuckling. "Ya must've been tired. Somethin happened to make ya forget that guy ya loved." Nathan said, heading towards the lights of the small town.

He had met the crew at The Black Lagoon and told them he was taking Jo to the ship. They waved him off and he headed to the Sirius.

Nathan laid her gently in the bed and covered her up. He turned to go to the bar, but stopped. He took a small breath and pecked her on the forehead, then hurriedly headed back to the bar.

Jo smiled softly and pulled the blanket tighter around her. For the first time, she felt something warm- something _alive_- stir inside of her. Maybe today she wouldn't fight with him about taking the bed.

The next morning she was surprisingly cold. She rubbed her eyes and sat up, wrapping the blanket around her and heading to the deck.

"Is the damn floor covered in ice?" She asked, feeling an unbelievable cold under her feet.

Jo POV:

"Ya didn't know? The treasure's in the Mysterious Islands." Nathan said, appearing behind me.

I flinched, which caused me to slip. Nathan caught me, which wasn't the problem. The problem was Russell.

"Hey! No makin out in the mornin!" He yelled.

Nathan helped me stand up straight, and I began to laugh evilly. "Little monkeys that don't know how to keep their mouths shut get silenced." I said.

Russell's eyes widened and he ran away, which was a foolish decision. He ran to his room and slammed the door behind him, but I easily pulled it open and glared at him. I tackled him and the door slammed behind us, so I proceeded to beat the living hell out of him. He somehow escaped to the deck, and I tackled him once again. I kicked him through the doors of the dining room, throwing the doors open as he landed on his face.

"Damn monkey should know I'm grouchy in the mornings." I grumbled, kicking him aside and sitting in my chair. 

"What did he do?" Christopher asked.

"He pissed me off." I snapped, biting a piece of bacon.

"I'm not sure that's a good reason to beat the crap out of him..."

"It's plenty good reason. I just woke up, I'm cold, and-"

"It must be her time of the month." Russell said from the floor.

I screamed and attacked him, fighting in a dust ball like cartoons. Occasionally his hand or a foot would stick out, but I would pull him back in and beat the crap out of him.

By the time the dust settled I had used a special knot to tie his mouth shut. I kicked his chest and he flew backwards, hitting his chair and falling over.

"Monkeys who don't know how to respect a lady will be silenced." I snapped, plopping back down in my seat.

"Yer not much of a lady." Eduardo said, challenging me.

"Shut up." I said, shooting a glare at him.

"Why should I listen to you?"

"I'm the one with boobs. You have to listen to me."

"She's right." Captain said, sipping a bottle of wine.

"Smart man." I took another piece of bacon and said, "I'll be right back." I pushed open the double doors and headed to the kitchen.

I walked in and leaned on the counter next to Nathan as he washed dishes. He didn't tell me to leave, but he didn't talk to me either. He only gave me a sideways glance and smiled.

"You know, you're the only person on this ship I really talk to."

He didn't reply.

I looked away from him and rested my eyes on the ocean. "…Thank you."

"You're welcome."

A comfortable silence settled around us, only to be interrupted by a messenger seagull tapping on the window.

I opened the window and untied the message from the bird's leg. The envelope had Leo's seal.

I hurriedly ripped open the letter and it read:

_Dear Jo,_

_Julie has recently been kidnapped by pirates. They are holding a ransom of ten thousand gold coins. I do not plan to pay them if you can save her, but if you cannot they will most likely have raised their price by the time I receive your letter. Either way, I believe they will not give her back even if I do pay the ransom. I beg of you, please save my little sister. She is the only family I have left. I have included the ransom note in the envelope. I hope to hear from you soon._

_-Leonardo_

I hurriedly snatched the ransom letter while Nathan took Leo's.

_We have your sister. Bring ten thousand gold coins to Ferin in ten days, or else she gets it._

"Ten days isn't enough time!" I yelled. I ran out of the kitchen and through the dining room, straight to the wheel. I turned it as fast as I could, making the ship lurch to the side.

"What the hell are ya doin woman!?" Eduardo exclaimed, rushing out of the dining room.

Once the ship was turned in the right direction I hurried to release all the sails. Then I ran past everybody and snatched some parchment and a quill. I tripped after I grabbed them, so I ended up writing on the floor.

_Dear Leonardo,_

_I will save your sister at any cost. I will not let anyone take any more loved ones away from you. In the meantime, Soria wishes to meet you Sunday after your affairs meeting. Meet her at The Bonnibelle at 3. Do not mention to her I told you._

_-Jo_

I grabbed a second piece of parchment after sending the first one off.

_Dear Soria,_

_Leonardo wishes to meet you Sunday at The Bonnibelle after your shift. He will be leaving an affairs meeting, so please be patient if he is late. Do not tell him I mentioned this to you._

_-Jo_

I sent the second letter off and hurried to the meeting room. I studied the ransom letter and places in and near Ferin and the pirate groups there.

"Nothing… there's nothing…" I said, resting my forehead on my hand. I snatched up the ransom note and studied it closer. "That's because the pirates aren't from Ferin…" I hurriedly pushed all the maps and books to the other side of the table and pulled out more from the area I suspected. After analyzing the handwriting, parchment, and ink I pinpointed an exact location.

"Herinette Cove … so it's him."

I slammed the book closed and threw open the doors, startling the crew who were hesitating coming in. I sprinted to the warehouse and opened the crate with John's stuff inside. I dug through the pockets hurriedly and pulled out my old entrance pass. I guess it's a good thing I started out on his ship.

After concealing the box once again, I headed back to the meeting room. I turned the pass over and studied the schedule I had written on the back some years ago. That man was stubborn. There was no way he would change his perfect schedule in a hundred years, no matter what anybody said. He would rather just fight off everybody who entered without a pass.

"…according to wind and current times how fast the ship is moving with the addition of two minor accidents… Dammit!" I screamed, throwing the book against the wall. "We don't have enough time!"

Just then Kenishi's face appeared before me.

"…I've got it. I got it!"

I bolted back towards the steering wheel and turned the wheel southwest. "According to wind speed times current over total time we have… remainder of two hours. Just enough time to dock the night before to review the plan. Yes!"

I spent the next four days studying the schedule and the scale of the place we needed to invade and timed everything perfectly.

"The gates open at 3 am to allow cargo ships to enter… If we make it to the chamber by 3:07 we can pass the cell keeper at the ends of his rounds and slip the keys… By 3:15 we need to be at the main entrance… by then everybody will have been alerted… so someone needs to stay behind and hold them off… if everyone else can make it to the ship before 3:20 they can sail with the cargo ships jut as the gatekeepers are alerted…" my head started to droop but I slapped myself to try and stay awake. I wrote down the plan twenty-seven times, just to make sure I knew it flawlessly. I played it in my head, along with everybody's actions and responsibilities. I set up a slightly large time frame, just in case something happened. Being ahead of schedule would be best.

Finally satisfied, I laid down my head to rest after four days of little sleep.

I woke up with a blanket over my shoulders and a piping hot breakfast next to me. "Oh Nathan, you treat me too well." I said.

I spent the entire day teaching the men the plan. I taught them every step, every position, and every yard. I strictly enforced the schedule, saying where we need to be and when we need to be there. I explained where Julie needs to be at all times. She _always_ needs to be holding someone's hand or be carried or else she'll fall behind and we'll end up caught or behind schedule, which is basically caught.

"After everybody is alerted, I'll stay behind."

"What? Why can't somebody else-"

"Look. Morgan is far too important to stay behind. If the world lost the Pirate King the balance between the navy and pirates would falter. I just stopped a war, and I don't want to start another one. None of you can stay behind because you're not strong enough to hold them off long enough. Also, it will take all of you to protect Julie. So, I'll stay behind. When you are running away there will be ships attempting to ambush you. Also, the gates around the island will be closing. As long as you just leave me behind and keep going you should make it in time. Now come on, we need to rest up. Dismissed."

Nathan and I headed to his room and I stretched out on the floor.

"Yer kiddn me."

"Mm."

Just then I was lifted in to the air and placed on the mattress. Nathan covered me up and wouldn't allow me to protest.

He stretched out on the floor and I threw a pillow at him.

"The hell?"

"The floor gets uncomfortable. You need it more than I do." I said, not turning to face him.

I heard him chuckle and lie down again.

"Thanks." We both said.

With that, we fell asleep.

We reached a deserted island about five miles away from Herinette Cove and I reviewed the plan. For two hours I set the main points in to the men's minds and made absolute certain _nothing_ would go wrong.

"Alright men. Off we go." I said, stepping on to the ship.

We pulled up the sails and pulled in to the line of cargo ships. At exactly 3 am the gates opened, and with my old entrance pass we got in without a synch. I steered the ship in to a hidden exit right next to the main entrance, unguarded and used as an emergency exit when there are navy attacks.

We ran swiftly and silently through selected corridors, passing by guards and barely missing others. It was like Leo's ship all over again, but ten times scarier.

We made it to the chambers at 3:06, just as the cell keeper passed. Thomas swiped his keys without a sound, and we hurried to the only occupied cell in the chamber.

After hurriedly telling Julie who we were and what was going on, she understood and did exactly what we told her.

My how she's grown. She was born only a couple years before I ran away, so she was really young.

We ran back to the main entrance and shut the heavy wooden door behind us just as the alarms sounded.

I ran with everybody to a small hallway leading to the emergency exit.

"I guess this is goodbye. There are going to be several sets of guards, but the ones protecting the exit are about as strong as navy guards. I trust you'll return Julie safely."

"Are ya sure you absolutely can't come with us?" Nathan asked.

"Absolutely. If I don't stay here to hold off as many as I can for as long as I can, you'll be bombarded with ships and pirates in an amount not even you guys can't survive."

"So we're just going to leave you here to fight them yourself!?"

Just then there was a heavy pounding on the door, letting us know the pirates made it and were right on out tail.

"Go! I'll hold them off!" I yelled, taking my sword out with one hand.

"We're not leaving without you!" He exclaimed.

"We don't have time for this! Take Julie and go!"

"Come on! We're going to get caught!" Russell yelled with tears in his eyes.

"I'm not leaving!" Nathan screamed, tears falling down his cheeks.

"Dammit ye stubborn man, I said go! Ye don't have another choice!" I yelled, looking anxiously at the door as it began to splinter.

"Damnit..." Nathan said, holding Julie's hand tightly.

The crew all had tears in their eyes, but they knew there was no other choice.

"Come on men, run!" Captain yelled.

"Jo!" Nathan yelled.

He turned as tears slid down his face. He smiled and said, "I love you."

I was silent for a second.

"I love you too! I promise I'll see you again! Now go!"

They all took off, and I smiled. So this is the end.

The door shattered and countless men flooded in the space between me and the door. I twirled my sword in the narrow hallway, and plunged it in to the first man that faced me.

Sorry, Nathan. I can't keep my promise.


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue:

Two weeks later the somber Sirius crew pulled in to port. They had returned Julie to Leonardo, and also told him the news.

It was hard for them to accept. They had really left her behind. They had left her to die.

The captain was surprised how she knew so much beforehand. She had told them that there would be ships attacking when they left, and it would take all of them to protect Julie. She knew the gates surrounding the island closed at a certain time and hurried them to leave. She knew it was a trap, but she sacrificed herself anyways for the safety of Leonardo's little sister. She knew she would die.

Nathan was the worst off, and everybody knew it.

He couldn't believe that he didn't protect the woman he loved. Now she was probably a pile of rotten meat on an island, but he knew she put up a hell of a fight. It made him smile knowing that she took at least half of the bastards with her. But then his smile would fall as he realized she was still gone either way.

That day was the first day he cried in front of anybody. He still cried, but he forced himself to hide it.

After heavy drinking at the bar the crew stumbled back to the ship. He hurriedly went to the dining room, like he had every day, but found nobody there.

"Damnit!" he screamed, throwing a nearby chair. "Why the hell did we leave her!? If all of us helped her, we could've-"

"Nathan." Captain said curtly.

Nathan turned to face him.

"We all know that if we stayed behind, nobody would have made it out."

Nathan clenched his fists and began to tremble. "I just don't get it… why couldn't we have just made a mad dash for the ship? Why didn't we just keep running? Why did she _have _to die?"

"Nathan, if we had just kept running they would've caught up to us. _Everybody_ in that entire place was locked in. Jo held them off for as long as she could, and we got out. Julie is alive, so she didn't die in vain."

"It doesn't matter if she died in vain or not… How would you feel knowing the one you love died because you weren't strong enough to protect them?"

"You sound like Jo." Eduardo said, twirling his gun in his hand as he leaned against the doorframe.

Nathan went silent. "…So this is how she felt."

With that, he turned and went in to the kitchen.

"Ye scurvy dogs are lookin depressed! What's wrong with ya'll?" Someone yelled from the deck.

Captain John.

Approximately ten minutes later the entire crew plus John were sitting in the dining room.

"John, I have some news to tell ya." Morgan said hesitantly.

"Go ahead." John said, twirling a dagger through his fingers.

"Ye see... Jo is dead."

The dagger stopped. "Eh?"

"She died two weeks ago."

John was silent. Everyone held their breath, afraid of what he was going to do.

"My little girl… is gone…" he said.

He slammed the dagger into the dining room table and said darkly, "What the hell did ye sorry sons of bitches do wrong in order for her to get hurt?"

"John, calm down. Let us explain." Captain said.

"Then ye should start explainin real quick before I lose my self control."

"We all went to Herinette Cove two weeks ago in order to save the Navy Captain's little sister."

"Aye, I see. She stayed behind while y'all escaped. That damned fool. How'd she think she'd pull it off?"

"That's the thing…" Morgan started.

"She knew…" John said, releasing the dagger. "She knew she didn't stand a chance… but she stayed behind anyway…" John looked up and said, "My little girl really moved on..."

"Moved on?" Thomas repeated.

"She would never let herself die, unless it was to save the one she loved. Usually she would've found a riskier way, but because she didn't want her loved one to get hurt, she just took all of the risk for them."

Everyone looked at Nathan.

"I see. It was you, bandana. Yer a lucky man."

"If I may ask, what was your relationship to Jo?" Morgan asked.

"We're twins. I didn't want to tell ya last time, cuz I didn't know if sis wanted to keep her roots secret or not." I said.

"I see. That's why ya are so alike." Morgan replied.

"...I need to ask y'all somethin." John said quietly.

Everybody looked at him, giving him the go ahead to ask.

"What did y'all think of Jo?"

Everyone was silent for a few seconds.

"She was a damn bothersome woman. Didn't know how to stay in her place. But, she was an impressive navigator." Eduardo said, twirling his gun in his hand.

"She always managed to hurt herself somehow, and every time I bandaged her up she said first aid was for wusses." Christopher said.

"She helped me with a lot of the work. It went by so much faster!" Thomas said.

"She always beat me in sword practice and stole my meat." Russell said, pouting.

"She was an excellent fighter and captain. Plus she was an excellent source of entertainment." Morgan said.

Nathan was the last to speak up. "Jo... was different from any other girl."

Everyone nodded.

"I see. Y'all cared about her." John said, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm going to miss her..." Thomas said, tears gathering in his eyes.

"It's so sad that we'll never be able to see her again." Christopher said.

"…Aye." John said.

John stayed on the ship for awhile, helping the crew cope. The only person he couldn't reach out to was Nathan. He had shut himself up either in his room or the kitchen and acted coldly towards everybody.

It was hopeless. He was heartbroken.

One night, Nathan woke up in the middle of the night by a strange draft.

He pulled his covers off and sat up, looking for the source. He noticed the door was open.

"The hell?" He said, getting up and heading to the deck to investigate.

He saw a girl standing in front of the railing. She was in a pure white dress, and her long blonde hair flowed gently in the breeze.

Nathan stopped. This girl, she was glowing. It was almost magical.

She noticed his presence, and turned.

Her emerald green eyes pierced his heart like a knife. The look of sheer compassion she gave him made him feel like a wreck, but the tender loving look she had in her eyes made his heart melt.

A soft smile spread on her beautiful face, and Nathan felt his heart shake. The smile was so sad, so loving, and so familiar.

The girl tucked a strand of silky golden hair behind her ear and said, "I miss you."

Nathan ran to her and hugged her, his knees collapsing under him. He sank to his knees as he hugged the girl, and she kneeled down with him.

"I miss ya so much…" Nathan said, tears forming in his eyes.

"I'm sorry."

"Please… don't leave me again…" He said, hugging her tightly.

"I love you."

"I love ya too, so please, tell me you're not dead. Tell me you're really here and we can be together forever. I want you by my side-"

The girl put a finger on Nathan's lips, silencing him. She placed her hand on his cheek and pulled him forward, gently touching his lips with her own. A single tear fell down her cheek as she did so.

She pulled back ever so slightly and whispered, "This is hard for me, too. Please, don't make this even harder for me."

"Jo, I don't want you to go."

"Goodnight, and goodbye." She said.

Nathan suddenly felt very tired, and his love kissed him once more as his eyes closed. The last thing he felt was the soft touch of her lips as he drifted in to sleep.

He jerked awake, and looked around desperately. A heavy sigh escaped his lips and he whispered, "I love ya…"

That night was a full moon, so the Sirius crew prepared to have their party. John tried his best to keep everyone cheery, but Morgan noticed he was falling apart himself.

The party was a disaster from the beginning. Nathan was sitting in at the end of the table with his arms crossed, glaring and not talking to anybody. Christopher, Thomas, Russell, and Eduardo were all drinking _way_ too much, Morgan was keeping a very watchful eye on John, and John was trying hard to stay happy on the outside.

_SLAM!_

"What are we doing? Why are we partying when really we're all just terribly sad? Why are we all trying so hard to be happy?" Thomas asked, trembling.

"Thomas?" John said, seeming frantic.

"We're all shaken up about this… Why are we pretending nothing happened?" Russell asked somberly.

"Russell!?" John said, visibly frantic.

"Why are we all pretending Jo doesn't exist?" Eduardo asked.

John's cup fell to the ground and Morgan eyed him. John started to tremble, looking as if he was about to collapse.

John POV:

Why am I doing this? Why am I causing myself so much pain and staying here? Why am I trying to convince everyone I'm dead, even though I'm right here?

Stop it. Jo is dead. You planned that. You didn't want Kenishi to happen all over again, so you killed Jo. Once the ship reaches port, you're running away to where they will never, ever find you again. Remember that.

But I don't want that! I want to be with Nathan! Why am I breaking my heart, when he's right in front of me!? I'm strong enough to protect him, and he's strong enough to protect himself! All I'm doing now is hurting him!

Shut up! Do you want to lose someone else you love!?

If I leave I'll definitely lose him!

It's better than being left behind!

I don't care if I get left behind! I love him and I'm never going to leave him!

"John?"

I jerked out of my thoughts and looked a Morgan.

"Are ya alright?" he asked.

No. I'm not alright.

"I'm fine." I said, tilting my hat.

But then again, who is?

"I think we should cut the party short. Goodnight, men." Morgan said.

"Night." Everyone replied, heading to their rooms.

Nathan POV:

I was heading to my room, when someone called me from behind. I turned and saw John.

"What do ya want?" I snapped.

"I just wanted to say… um…" He said, searching for words.

I turned my back and walked away, but a hand stopped me.

I looked and saw John's hand was on my shoulder. It was so… feminine. It was really small and seemed fragile. Even his nails seemed feminine.

"I can't…"

Wasn't that just Jo's voice?

I turned around, but only saw John.

"Never mind." He said, turning and walking away.

His back was so… small. It wasn't broad like a man's. He was a bit shorter than me, about Jo's height. Maybe even a little taller. His voice isn't very deep, and sometimes he seems a bit… off. Could he be…? No, that's impossible. I need to stop. Jo is dead, and that's that. No matter how much I wish and hope it isn't.

John POV:

"Lord I feel so small sometimes, in this big old place. Yeah I know there's more important things, but don't forget to remember me."

I curled up in to a ball and rested my chin on my knees. I want to be with him so much, but I don't want to be hurt again. If I show him who I am, what will come of the future? I know what will happen if I run away again. I'll be heartbroken, but won't have the chance to be deserted. But… what will happen to Nathan? He's falling apart, and so is the rest of the crew. Even I'm falling apart.

That's it.

I got up and ran to the deck. I tore down the side of the ship and turned sharply in to a hallway, slipping but righting myself. I stopped in front of the door, and hesitated. I shakily knocked on the door, and heard a noise from inside.

The door opened, and before Nathan could say anything and closed the door behind me.

"What the hell are ya doin?" He exclaimed, pushing me away.

I trembled slightly as I took my hat off. I pulled my hair out of a bun, and the ponytail fell down my back.

"…Jo?"

"I can't… I can't leave." I said, tears welling in my eyes. "I don't care about getting hurt. I can't stand seeing you in so much pain. I don't care if I have to travel through hell and back, I can't run away anymore." I looked up at Nathan and said, "I love you."

Nathan reached out a shaky hand and cupped my cheek, bringing my face towards his. He placed an arm around my waist and pulled me closer.

"I love you too." He said just before kissing me. "I'll do whatever it takes…" He said, pulling back but kissing me again. "To make you happy."

We kissed many times that night. So many, I lost count.

No POV:

The next day Nathan was up early in the kitchen, happily making breakfast for his beloved. He didn't have a chance to say what he wanted to, but he hoped to do it soon.

Suddenly someone hugged him from behind, wrapping their arms loosely around his neck and draping themselves on his back. He noticed a bandaged right hand.

"What are ya doin?" he asked as he laughed softly.

"Is it wrong to want to hug the person you love in the morning?" Jo asked, placing her chin on his shoulder. She snatched a piece of bacon from the plate and started eating it.

"Hey! Don't eat it all. We need to have some leftover for everyone else." Nathan said, laughing.

"I only took one piece! Anyways, I need to tell everyone else I'm okay."

"That'd be a good idea. They should be in the dining room by now." Nathan said.

"Okay. I'll make this show count." Jo said, putting on her hat.

Jo POV:

I walked in to the dining room and saw most of the crew moping around the table.

"What are ya'll lookin so sad fer? Ya'll got these mopey faces for no reason."

"The hell are you talkin about?" Eduardo snapped.

"Whoa, that one's snappy this morning." I remarked. "C'mon, smile!"

"What is there to smile about?" Thomas asked.

"There's bacon in the kitchen, for one."

"How are you acting like this is nothin?" Eduardo snarled.

"Acting like what is nothing?"

"Enough, John." Morgan said sternly.

"What has got ya'll so angry? I don't understand."

"Quit acting like Jo's death didn't happen!" Russell exclaimed.

"What death? Nobody died recently…" I said, scratching my chin.

"You bastard!" Eduardo yelled, charging at me.

I kicked him to the side in one swift motion and said, "Calm down. All ya'll are acting crazy." I pulled my hat off and said in my normal voice said, "Who ever said I died?"

There was a shocked ten seconds of silence.

"Jo!" Thomas exclaimed, jumping up and hugging me. 

"I knew it! You two were the same person all along!" Morgan exclaimed.

I hugged Thomas with one arm and threw the other over Captain's shoulder and said, "I never could keep anything from you, Morgan."

Captain put his arm around my shoulder and we laughed.

"W-wait a second, Jo is alive!?" Eduardo exclaimed.

"Yup. Jo is John, John is Jo. The mighty ex-navy commander, past Captain of the Endeavor and the Sirius, plus defeater of the Pirate King was all me."

"Jo is alive…" Christopher said, putting a hand to his head.

"Hey! What're ya cryin for Thomas?" I asked.

"I thought you were dead! I was so sad, but now you're alive and I just, I just, I missed you!" He yelled, crying uncontrollably.

"Wait, why did ya freak out when we told ya Jo was dead?" Russell asked.

"Women are natural born actresses, ya know."

"I'm surprised you don't have any injuries from fighting." Christopher said.

"I never said that. I ran 300 miles just to catch up with the ship, and I have a sprained wrist along with three broken ribs."

"You went all this time without treatment!?" Christopher exclaimed.

"I'm fine. Just in a hell of a lot of pain."

Christopher grabbed my arm and said, "You're getting treatment. _Now_."

"See you soon, guys!" I said as I was pulled out the door.

Later that day we were all eating dinner, and I stood up.

"I'm going to bed."

"I'll go with you." Nathan said, standing up.

"If you're going to come then carry me." I said, holding up my arms.

"When did you get so needy?" Eduardo asked.

"I beat almost 500 armed men, broke multiple ribs, sprained my wrist, evaded death, and traveled almost 300 miles over land and sea, and went through emotional hell in three weeks. I'll be as needy as I want." I snapped at him.

No POV:

Nathan laughed and picked her up, carrying her princess style. He began walking to their bedroom, and she had fallen asleep before he reached the room.

He laid her gently in the bed and crawled in with her, being careful not to hurt her ribs. He gave her light kisses, not being able to resist her cute sleeping face. 

The next morning Nathan had been up early again.

Jo entered the kitchen, hugging him sleepily.

"Be careful with yer ribs. I don't want ya getting hurt."

"I'm fine. I miss you in the mornings when I wake up alone."

"That doesn't sound like somethin you'd say." Nathan said, turning his head to look at her.

"I know. I think I'm gonna puke, even though it's how I feel." Jo said, scrunching up her face.

Nathan laughed and turned around, hugging her. "Yer full of surprises."

"That's what you love about me." Jo said, smirking as she kissed the one she loved.

"Hey! No making out in the mornin! Especially not in the kitchen!"

The couple snapped their heads in Russell's direction.

"What are ya doin in my kitchen?" Nathan snarled.

"Monkeys that can't keep their mouths shut…" Jo began.

"Must be silenced!" the couple finished together.

They attacked him at the same time, in perfect sync as they beat the living hell out of the little rat.

He was hog tied in the corner of the dining room as everyone ate breakfast. Jo and Eduardo were doing their usual bickering, and she held hands with Nathan under the table.

And so began a whole new adventure.

~The End~


End file.
